Thesis
A review of the implementation of employability interventions through employers to increase entrants into adult social care in Scotland
- Creator
- Rights statement
- Awarding institution
- University of Strathclyde
- Date of award
- 2023
- Thesis identifier
- T16752
- Person Identifier (Local)
- 201790792
- Qualification Level
- Qualification Name
- Department, School or Faculty
- Abstract
- This dissertation is a practice-based research project focused on employability interventions that can promote pathways for entrants into adult social care in Scotland. The research considers the policy context, assesses the extent to which fair work is achievable in social care and the connections between key stakeholders delivering employability and the capacity available for improved recruitment processes. It reports data from 34 multi-stakeholders across organisations in Scotland, through interviews with four distinct groups: employers, policy makers, employability providers and individual employees working in social care. Interviewees include chief executive officer and senior manager level in policy organisations, senior management, HR and recruitment staff from multiple employers. Employability providers who place individuals through employability pathways into adult social care as well as individuals working within the sector. The research finds a sector facing acute workforce challenge recruiting and retaining staff, due particularly to pay (including equity and increasing cost-of-living concerns), terms and conditions and the reputation and status of the sector. These challenges have been heightened during the Covid pandemic. This has led to the sector adopting a short-term focus on ‘firefighting’ and ‘survival’, degrading the quality of recruitment practices, and limiting long term planning. The research highlights enablers used to enhance recruitment relating to word of mouth, the manager, organisational culture and effective matching and meaningful conversations pre-employment. There was low awareness amongst some employers, employability providers and individuals around fair work and the fair work offer. The sector is fragmented in terms of practice, baseline audits referenced showing limited implementation of good practice principles. Legislation and funding are two gaps that were identified to drive up fair work with low union representation in the sector. The Covid pandemic has also reduced practical work experience within the sector. Most job candidates apply directly to employers and do not make use of employability programmes. New employability approaches for the sector are shorter and focused upon quick entry and are not attuned to the needs of the most disadvantaged, facing barriers to entry. Common methods used such as informal channels and word of mouth can disadvantage underrepresented entrants, along with the one-dimensional focus on being person-centred through client choice which can exacerbate existing underrepresentation if unquestioned. There is a clear gap observed for a sustainable employability model for individuals furthest from employment. The research also found a disconnect between the positions of stakeholders, most prominently between employers and policy makers on one side and employability providers on the other, leading to a dysfunctional relationship. This related to factors such as limited confidence in employability programmes due to past experiences and bureaucratic processes. There were concerns raised around sectoral attitudes to disabled and youth entrants, often the target groups for employability programmes. The lack of traction from intermediary employability providers have left some policy makers and employers to conclude that providers are unable to deliver what they ‘promise.’ There was a common perception of a ‘middle bit’ missing in the employability journey to recruitment. This limiting facilitation, connections in education as well as missing due to the low visibility of employers and lack of energy and passion shown to engage candidates, whilst appreciating some employer types as more responsive than others. Values based recruitment approaches hold the potential to offer a distinct employability approach for the sector, but this approach is utilised in a modest manner in practice and employers can adopt default criteria of qualifications and experience despite a selling point for the sector being that entrants don’t need qualifications. Recommendations include a need to align recruitment and retention practices more closely together and increased profiling of fair work principles within the sector aligned to commissioning decisions. Inclusive practices and increased diversity data can assist to increase representation in entrant roles. Innovation is restricted and employers have used adaptive approaches through indirect entry routes for individuals via volunteering and alternative roles ranging from domestic, catering and stewards, roles described as holding less ‘responsibility.’ On the flip side there was some evidence of the sector being used as a route into ‘higher’ level roles such as nursing and medicine. As the role of the manager is key to enhance positive candidate experiences, there needs greater consideration in relation to time given for value added recruitment activity. Organisational capacity for policies that are progressive and focus on inclusion are limited due to a prioritisation on other aspects such as covering care contracts and survival. HR resourcing within the sector is constrained and smaller organisations need to consider collaboration and shared resources to enable quality recruitment. The sector would also benefit from realistic job previews and pre-employment conversations to assist its recruitment and retention efforts.
- Advisor / supervisor
- Lindsay, Colin (Researcher)
- Nickson, Dennis
- Resource Type
- DOI
Relations
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PDF of thesis T16752 | 2023-11-02 | Public | Download |